Conferencing Over Castigation

So for anyone that knows me very will, you probably have heard me talk about restorative justice and community conferencing. In case you don't know what restorative justice is, its basically a broad paradigm that focus on healing problems though dialogue. The goal of restorative justice is to address multiple levels of a conflict and to aid individuals directly or indirectly affected by the crime at hand. Its an awesome concept and has been empirically proven as more effective than our typical criminal justice system. If you want to know more, just google it. There is a ton of information. 

Anyway, just wanted to pass this on to anyone who is interested. I recently met with Athens Mediation who shared this video with me, definitely empowering and I highly recommend checking it out. 

Community Conferencing in Inner City Baltimore

This video shows the power of dialog and is an awesome example what working together within our community can do. The thing is, it doesn't just start or end with events like the ones shown in this video. If we stopped worrying so much about a labeling people as deviant, and instead understood why they do what they do, maybe we wouldn't have 7.3 MILLION individuals under the supervision of the criminal justice system. If you don't think that you care for any other reason, then you should understand how much money this is out of your pocket, your tax dollars. Or maybe you can look past the money, and focus on humanity. We may find forgiveness is an essential element of conflict resolution, not just the castigation of your neighbor. Through the values and goals of restorative programming, we may find a nation that focuses not on punishment but restoration. We may find communities where offenders are not labeled and disenfranchised, but given forgiveness for their crimes. Finally, we may, with careful and diligent efforts by practitioners, transcend laws from those restricted by technicalities and loopholes to those that encompass their true intention— the protection of society.

Love like a life depends on it

Love is a renewable resource; however, its deficiency is putting the livelihood of our world in grave danger. Unlike other resources, Love does not risk depletion through overuse, instead it thrives in an environment that relies upon its over-consumption  Only through a distribution of this resource can its presence be multiplied. Love does not fear exposure and gluttony, for consumers are only able to utilize a particular threshold before they will begin to produce it themselves. When all else is gone, when all other resources have been depleted and humanity is on the edge of starvation, Love may keep us alive.

In a world that often seems so cold, so focused on individualized reward and success, Love may be all we have to guide our transactions with others. It voids hate and destroys tension posed by conflicting visions. It allows for empathy for those we fear and believe we will never understand. It is the capacity to put others needs in front of your own. It is the ability to feel the pain that others feel. It is only feeling that may resonate between two strangers. It connects us with someone living 10,000 miles away. It is what holds our world together.

Love its indigenous to every individual to walk this earth, though some may struggle to recognize it. As you strive to find your purpose, look no further than the discovery of this valuable commodity in our society. When you find it, redistribute it to everyone you know, for you never know who else is on searching for it.

Love your friends, Love your neighbor, Love family, and Love a stranger. Love the ones who are deceased, Love the ones who need it the least.  Love your peers and your mother, Love your friends and Love your brother. Love your God, who ever it may be, Love the air or Love a tree. Love the country to which you call home, Love the streets you often roam. Love for few or Love for all, show it big or show it small.  

It doesn’t matter who how or to who you show it, but show Love every day. Someone’s life depends on it. 

A Need for Ubuntu

"there is a need for understanding but not for vengeance, a need for reparation but not for retaliation, a need for ubuntu but not victimisation"

So as I was working on a paper this week, I came back across the word "ubuntu." Ubuntu is an African philosophy (particularly South African) which basically means humanness... but can't really be defined because it is a way of life. It refers to a sense of community and belongingness...kinda like saying "we are all in this together." When I first came across the Ubuntu a year or so ago, I kinda read it, though it was cool, and put it in the back of my mind. I honestly didn't even remember what it meant until it was in a book I was reading this week on restorative justice and democratic collaboration. Yea, yea, I know that it sounds lame but I think that stuff is interesting (which means I'm becoming old, or nerdy, or both). 

As I reflected on Ubuntu I began to notice how small of a place this has in our society. Ubuntu is meant to affirm identity, but  only while recognizing diversity. The way our society acts is as if we shouldn't see diversity at all (though we do, maybe not even in a constructive manner). When we recognize diversity, whether it be race, religion, sociology economic status or sexuality, we tend to try to ignore it on the surface. Because we are are so obsessed with equal treatment, we think that "equalness" must restrict our conversations. I would have a hard time believing, that for anyone when you come across individuals, you do not create identities based on the way they look or talk. We all do it and in my opinion THAT IS PERFECTLY OKAY. What fun would this world be if we all shared the same history, values, and beliefs? If we all stopped obsessing over these differences and struggling to hide them, we may be able to learn a lot from each other? 

We are all different and that is what makes this world SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME. My hope though, despite all these differences  we realize that we share 99.9999% of our DNA with each other. We are all human, we are all need each other, we all need ubuntu. 

Ubuntu has a place in all of us, whether we are ready to recognize it or not. Ubuntu does not mean we all agree either, it allows plenty of room for disagreement. What it encourages is collaboratively discussion about disagreements until we are all able to find a peaceful consensus. All this may sound a little Utopian but I have full faith that one day we our society will find ethical ideal and embrace it. We are progressive, not draconian. If we want to "civilize" our society, we will learn to find peace with one another. The best part about all of this is it starts now, with all of us. It doesn't take some huge movement, it just takes people loving people. So the next time you see someone that is different from yourself of share has an opposing viewpoint, LISTEN. Ask them questions. RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR DIFFERENCES.  Even though they may seem like they are so different from yourself, you still are invested in each other, you are all part of the same community, you all hold a stake in ubuntu. 

More than a number

So I have been thinking a lot recently...actually for the past 6 months or more, about how much our criminal justice system sucks. It's not like I just realized it then...I pretty much realized it after I interned in a prison for a summer...but its started to really hit home. During my undergrad, I was told 1,000 reasons why our justice system works the way it does. Some people say we punish to rehabilitate...ha. Some people see criminal sanctions as a deterrent...which is equally as as funny to me since you are more likely to commit another crime after you have been incarcerated. Some people see sanctions as retribution...which is what really gets me.

I was talking to a couple of my friends this morning and asked them if they believed in retribution and they both said they did...in some form or another. They said, just like everyone does, that people need to pay for their actions but my question is...why is incarceration the option we think is best fit? What purpose does that serve for ANYONE. If you send someone to jail, you are not doing anything to help any stakeholds in a criminal act. The victim receives nothing (except possibly a small monetary retribution fees), the community doesn't benefit..they are paying to incarcerate them and are losing a member of society who could be working and purchasing products. The offender clearly doesn't benefit, they receive putative sanctions, the loss of a large chunk of their life, criminal friends, disenfranchisement, and the label as a criminal for life(if its a felony at least). Additionally for many of them, they never receive the opportunity to have their story heard.

The example I had this morning was what if you lost a family member to a car accident that involved a drunk driver? What would you want to happen to them? I'm sure that most people would say they wanted them to rot in jail for what they did, but why do we think that? It doesn't make you a bad person if you do...it is all we know, but why is our moral imagination restricted to ideas like this to punish individuals for wrong doing? Lets say this individual is charged with second degree manslaughter and DWI (or whatever charges result..im not exactly sure). Most likely he is going to plea bargain out into something like..vehicular manslaughter and a DUI...still probably facing jail or prison time. The family may get an insurance claim, nothing compared to what they have lost. They will go to court, the case will be passed through in a few minutes, and both parties leave feeling like their story hasn't been heard and the justice system has failed to attend to their needs.

I think it is so sad how many stories end like this. What if the individual in the car was a senior in college who made one terrible terrible mistake. Prison isn't going to serve as a deterrent ..I'm sure have taking someones life they would have never driven drunk again. They don't need rehabilitated, it was one bad decision (plus rehabilitation takes away all accountability from the offender). Retribution? By going to prison, the victim and their family did benefit. Retribution for some reason is supposed to restore some moral order, one I have yet to see accomplished. By passing people through our criminal justice system like this, we fail to recognize any of the details of a crime and simultaneously don't benefit any of the above parties. Why can't we sit down and have a collaborative conversation about what the punishment should be and how we can REALLY restore moral order? A discussion where all stakeholder have their story heard (including members of the community) and decide on an APPROPRIATE punishment.  Seems a little more logical than slapping a number on someone to me....

Preface of....who knows

Dum vita est, spes est - Where there is life, there is hope 

So I if you are reading this, this blog may not be typical to what you are used to if you are an "avid blogger" (but maybe it is). I have never blogged before, nor have I looked through other peoples. I also don't expect people to necessarily read mine. This blog isn't going to be about anything specifically, just about my own experiences, lessons I have learned, and the dreams I seek to fulfill. I am coming to many crossroads in my life and quickly understanding my own passions and I guess, I just have a lot to say. This isn't formal, I do enough of that in school. I am making this blog to rationalize my own values as I work to find my place in this...mess of a world we live in. I named this blog Dreaming for A Change because it summarizes my entire outlook on life. Right now, I am spending a predominate amount of my time consumed with thoughts on how I am possibly going to impact the world in a way that I want so desperately to. I am not really consumed with my own success...I measure it by my impact. I feel like people don't believe me when I say that, but its true. No I'm not noble, no I'm not selfless...I just am what I am. I have been blessed beyond belief in my life. Yes, I didn't grow up in an "ideal" childhood, but I would not be the person I am today if it would have been. My life has definitely seen its fair share of adversity, but I would say considering the way 90% of this world lives, I am still pretty pretty lucky to have what I have. 

In case you are just randomly coming across this or haven't talked to me in awhile, I am a first year Master's in Public Administration Student at Ohio University (and also hopefully getting a Certificate in War and Peace Studies, which I am super stoked about). I work on a research and evaluation team though my college and also participate on the Women's Track Team. My Undergrad was also from OU, Criminology Major....and yea that's me. 

 If you have been talking to me recently you know I am literally obsessing over what I am doing this summer...and after my grad program for that matter (Summer 2014). Right now I am working on my internship applications for the Department of State and the United States Department of International Development. I have never worked in Foreign Affairs or International Development, or even been to anyplace but Canada for that matter, but I am pretty sure this is what I want to do for awhile. If I get one of the internships with the State Department, I will hopefully be working in Sub-Sahara or North Africa this summer, the other internship is in D.C. 

I honestly have no clue why I want to work abroad so bad. Something has been pulling me toward it for awhile, but I knew it wasn't practical. Now, I know this is where I am supposed to be. I am seriously considering entering the PeaceCorps (or at least applying) because I want nothing more than work hand-in-hand with individuals who are 100x the person I'll ever be, but have yet to receive even one opportunity to succeed. There are so many awesome people from all over the world and I honestly resentful to how few of them I have been able to meet. Honestly, every U.S. citizen should take the time to sit down with someone from a developing nation because the conversations I have had with these individuals have been some of the best conversations of my life. Unlike many people I know, they know how to love. Not necessarily love for their spouse, friends, or even their children, but they know how to love in general. You can sense it without them even saying it. They have hope for the world, hope in their love. I can't even articulate how much better I have felt after reading about or speaking with these individuals, and maybe that is why I want to spend some time on the other side of the world. So going there, living with these families, maybe it is on my selfish behalf, but I am 100% committed to give everything I have to them, just as I know they will be to me.